TROOPS pursuing members of the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf in the southern part of the Philippines have reported new sightings of the hostages, authorities said.
Hostages were seen traveling with at least four groups with each group having 30 to 40 people each, said Col. Allan R. Arojado, commander of the military’s Joint Task Group Sulu which has been in active pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf since October.
Radullan Sahiron has been tagged by the military as a senior leader of the group, who reportedly took command of a sizeable faction of the Abu Sayyaf when its leader, Khadaffy Janjalani, was killed in 2006.
Mr. Arojado said that the hostages are likely traveling with the group of the Abu Sayyaf subgroup leader.
The official added that the military has already secured another abandoned Abu Sayyaf camp early Sunday morning at Danag Village in the municipality of Patikul.
“[The] camp is believed to be occupied a week ago by more or less 30 men. It has six bunkers with training area,” said Mr. Arojado.
He added that they were also able to recover several combat uniforms and various document and files.
There will be no letup in the ongoing and intensified law enforcement operations against the Abu Sayyaf as operations reach second month this November.
“The important thing is that we do not let them rest. We are hunting them but the area of Patikul is really vast... Our soldiers are still familiarizing themselves with the terrain,” Mr. Arojado further said.
Meanwhile, a Palace official said that the national government is doing everything it can to solve the Abu Sayyaf problem aside from conducting military offensives.
“The government is helping our countrymen in those areas where these bandits operate through our different livelihood programs... In other words, we have an all-encompassing strategy to the situation -- we have the law enforcement aspect and we also have the socioeconomic aspect,” Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma, Jr. told reporters at a press briefing on Sunday.
The government has put up buying stations to purchase fruit harvests in the province to ensure that the economy remains intact despite the situation, he said.
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